Alberta Agriculture's latest crop report shows crops have started to decline with the prolonged heat wave. In just one week, major crop conditions have gone from 73 per cent good to excellent to 55 per cent good to excellent.
Crops in the Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation and Oyen area that were rated good to excellent have now declined from 62 per cent to 32 per cent, with crop staging ranging from booting to dough development depending on when crops were seeded. Sub-surface moisture conditions in the area are rated as 53 per cent t poor, 30 per cent fair, 15 per cent good, 2 per cent excellent and 0 per cent excessive. Pasture conditions are currently rated as 33 per cent poor, 23 per cent fair, 45 per cent good and 0 per cent excellent.
In the Southern area of the province, crops are rated 77 per cent good to excellent, down from last week’s rating of 82 per cent and the 5-year average of 50 per cent. Any sporadic rains and/or the odd thunderstorm in the Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Foremost areas have not been enough to positively influence soil moisture. Sub-surface soil moisture is currently rated as 15 per cent poor, 53 per cent fair, 31 per cent good, 0 per cent excellent and 0 per cent excessive.
Crops are also struggling with the heat in the North East including Smoky Lake, Vermillion, Camrose and Provost areas. There's reports of shortened flowering stages in canola with aborted kernels/pods. The report shows that areas in the North East that originally had excessive moisture are now dry. Currently, sub-surface soil moisture is rated as 21 per cent poor, 38 per cent fair, 40 per cent good, 1 per cent excellent and 0 per cent excessive.
The Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, and Athabasca area in the North West shows cereal crops dealing with heat stress have started aborting tillers, spring cereals are on average near the end of flowering. Canola and pea crops are showing the effects of heat blast. Moisture is quickly disappearing even in areas of sloughs or standing water. Currently, regional sub-surface soil moisture is rated as 34 per cent poor, 40 per cent fair, 24 per cent good, 1 per cent excellent and 0 per cent excessive.
The Peace area has now had three consecutive weeks of hot weather which is impacting pea and canola production. Friday's report shows major crop conditions have gone from 73 per cent in mid-July down to 57 per cent listed as good to excellent. Even though sub-surface soil moisture in the Peace is the highest rated in the province, conditions are still below their historical averages. Currently, sub-surface soil moisture is rated as 3 per cent poor, 44 per cent fair, 49 per cent good, 4 per cent excellent and 0 per cent excessive.
